Polish golden autumn is being slowly replaced by cold and cloudy days – a prelude for the upcoming winter. At that time, more than during other seasons of the year, my organism needs consolation, something that could improve my humor in a way I could survive cold weather and long winter evenings. Since I was a child I was a total sweet tooth. On the list of treats I am always willing to devour are not only all kinds of chocolates, but also simple pies. I’m not a huge fan of too much custard and layers typical of cream cakes. Simplicity and distinctive taste is what always makes me smile. Today, I’d like to present you a recipe for fruitcake from a cookbook ‘Stulecie Winnych – notes kulinarny’ written by Ałbena Grabowska – the author, whose novels I have recently fallen in love with.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of wheat flour
• 3/4 cup of icing sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 bar of soft butter
• 2 spoons of sour cream 18%
• 100 g of raisins
• 100 g of dried, unsulfured apricots
• 50 g of candied orange peels
• 50 g of dried cranberries
• 50 g of dried figs
• 50 g of prunes
• 50 g of walnuts or cashew nuts
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Preparation:

Cut the apricots and figs into small pieces. Crush the nuts. Sieve the wheat flour with two teaspoons of baking powder. Put the dried fruit and nuts into the bowl with flour and mix everything. Take the second bowl and fill it with icing sugar, add some butter, next mix and beat everything with a mixer. Continue until you get a well blended and smooth mixture. Next, keep adding washed eggs, still mixing. Add flour with dried fruit and nuts, as well as some sour cream to the earlier prepared butter mixture. Mix everything carefully with a wooden spoon or a spatula, continue until you get smooth pastry. The fruitcake should be baked at 170°C (top/bottom) for around an hour. After 50-55 minutes check whether the cake is well-baked, you can do that with the use of a cocktail stick. If you come to a conclusion that the cake is ready turn the oven off, leave there the fruitcake for a few minutes, don’t forget to leave the oven door open. Bon Appetit!

See you around!

Yours,

Passion Piece

This and many more recipes can be found in the book titled Stulecie Winnych – notes kulinarny.